Pinoy Sounding Board » Commentaries

Pee for a Fee

elmot — Tue, 31 May 2011 07:32:17 +0000

I went to Manila last week. The travel was hellish, as traffic and the scorching heat combined their powers to torment travelers like me. A sound was echoing inside my head, “am I already in hell?”

When I arrived in Pasay area, I immediately looked for the nearest comfort room (yes, Filipinos use comfort room instead of rest rooms which many foreigners say is the more proper term) to relieve myself from discomfort. Actually, I was preventing myself from peeing on my pants while inside the bus.

The nearest CR that I found was in a mall.

I immediately went to get inside the CR but was prevented by a lady seated on a desk just right on the entrance. A little placard says “P5.00 for use of CR”. What duh! I grudgingly took a 5-peso coin on my purse and zoomed inside to pee.

Yeah baby! This is nirvana!

The comfort room looked decent, smell good and more importantly, it was clean. Quite a steal, told myself.

As I went out wearing a sheepish smile on my face, that same lady standing on the entrance of the comfort room offered me an alcogel in a small sachet. Got one, and then seemingly went back to my senses. I murmured, “Man, that was 5 pesos slashed off my budget.”

The operator of the mall was certainly making lots of money by operating comfort rooms alone.

But of course, that was not the last time that I looked for a comfort room in a public area that day.

Used a comfort room in a MRT station – eewwww!

Used a comfort room in a prominent university – heavenly!

I also used a comfort room inside a bus terminal before going home.

The CR was located in a tiny passageway on the left side of the bus terminal. And this time, you have to pay different prices for the use of this CR depending on what you are going to do there: P5 when you are just going to pee on a makeshift wall with flowing water and P10 when you want to drop the A-bomb on Hiroshima.

Unlike the one in the mall, this comfort room is sick, so sick! I don’t know why it was even called a comfort room, when you cannot help but close your eyes when you are peeing and feel rather an added discomfort.

Still, I peed there, and paid the one guarding the area another P5 because there is no choice; it was the only CR nearest the bus station.

Unlike the one inside the mall: there was no alcogel. Arg.

I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who experienced this one: looking for a public comfort room and then be surprised that you have to pay for its use.

Yes, there are comfort rooms inside the malls, on government offices, and many other establishments that are asking for a fee before one can use it. And that sucks man!

But choosing between using comfort rooms on these areas for a fee or peeing on those pink and blue MMDA urinals located alongside the nationals roads to be seen by the plying motorists; I would have to choose the former.

The lack of clean and decent public comfort rooms in the country is something that has been overlooked by the government that is too busy for kickbacks and looking for a wife for the President.

But if we really want to clean up this country’s mess, then I guess that also needs to be done literally.

Photo credit: webnebber.com

Rep. Manny Pacquiao Failed to do His Homework on the RH Bill

elmot — Tue, 17 May 2011 16:14:12 +0000

He may be adored by the world of sports for his power, lightning-speed and superior boxing skills, but Pacquiao proved that no one has been given the best of both worlds.

Pound-for-pound king and Saranggani Representative Manny Pacquiao sided with the Catholic Church on the controversial issue on the Reproductive Health or RH Bill. Media has covered his visit and meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippine or CBCP as the boxing great becomes the newest face of the Catholic front against the said piece of legislation.

Unfortunately, the boxing superstar seemed clueless as to what he is fighting for though the bishops looked very much relieved that a “messiah” somewhat came to save their day. Or should I say, dismayed over the way Pacquiao defended them?

Manny Pacquiao during an interview said that he is supporting the anti-RH Bill movement because he believes that using contraceptives is against the law of God written in the Bible which says, “go forth and multiply.” Pacquiao argued that God did not say “go and just have one or two children.”

Looking at the way the revered boxing icon argue as regards the issue reveals that the lawmaker from Saranggani certainly failed to his homework; that is, reading first the piece of proposed legislation at the center of controversy at the Lower House of Congress.

Never was it mentioned in the proposed piece of legislation that the state will impose its will on the couple to limit their children to only two.

That was Rep. Pacquiao’s own straight power punch landing right into his face I guess.

The boxing champ was prodded even further by media after an article says that her wife Jinkee Pacquiao is using control pills to manage the growth of their family. To this, Manny Pacquiao said,

“You know, in reality, even if the RH (reproductive health) bill has not yet been passed, many people are already using condoms or (birth pills) so why do we still need to pass it when people are already using them?”

Pacquiao seemed lost in the issue. Unfortunately, this very same line of argumentation has also been used by many anti-RH Bill advocates.

The issue is not about availability but accessibility.

Remembering the debate on the controversial barangay ordinance passed by a posh subdivision, former Department of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said that it is not the problem of rich families of having lots of children, or buying pills or condoms, or having an UID, or mothers having regular check-ups at the best hospitals around town because they have the money to spend. Unfortunately, those who are living on shanties, squatter’s areas, far-flung barrios and the poorest of the poor communities cannot afford these things though empirical data from a good number of surveys reveal that these mothers and wives wanted to manage the growth of their family but restrained by financial concerns.

Therefore, the RH Bill makes all these things accessible to all couples to help them on managing their families, rich or poor. If the couple decided to have 1 or 2 children, the state will help them achieve this. If the couple decided to have 10 children because they can responsibly take care of the family, the state will help them achieve this. And if the couple decided to use natural or artificial family planning methods, that state will provide them what they need in order for the mother to get protected and the family to be responsibly managed.

With all these points that Rep. Pacquiao raised, Sen. Santiago could not help but ask the lawmaker to just shut up, and at one point even jokingly dared the boxing champ into a fist fight. She said,

“Huwag mo nang pasukan ito. E kung kaming mga senador, hindi kami pumapasok sa pagboxing pero kung gusto mo e pwede rin [Don’t get yourself involved in this anymore. We senators don’t engage into boxing but if you want, then we may].”

She also lectured,

“May I just make a point of grammar please? The Bible does not say, ‘Go out to the world.’ It sounds very much like God is encouraging us to go out and copulate in public.

God said in the Bible, ‘Go forth and multiply.’ That meant that God wanted man, not necessarily to literally multiply, but to go out to work with the rest of the human beings of this planet and to apply the stewardship theory. Meaning to say, taking care of each other, who are all in the planet living together.”

Sen. Santiago really knows how to throw educated “punch lines” with precision.

If Pacquiao trains hard for 2 months or so for a fight inside the boxing ring, punishing himself just to be on the right condition; he should exactly do the same in Congress, in particular, before lecturing the people about the RH Bill. He should read first the bill primarily because he is a lawmaker, and second, in order present sound and logical arguments and spare himself from taking jabs that comes from his own fists.

The congress is not a boxing ring. Only sound and logical arguments are admissible and popularity and fame will never save you from shame.

I am personally pissed off with Pacquiao trying to drag and use his fame and the respect people give him as a boxing great into an issue that he cannot even put up a good defense for his stand.

He is everywhere – music, clothes, perfume, shoes, restaurants, gas station, television shows, fight against poverty, fight against corruption, fight against cancer, fight against illiteracy, fight for peace and unity, promotion of tourism, and all. These are good, but as they say, take only the battles that you are prepared and you can win, lest you will look foolish if you put yourself as the savior of everything.

If Pacquiao cannot prepare himself as a lawmaker (in particular in this issue of RH Bill) the way he trains hard for a fight, then he should just follow Sen. Santiago’s advice: Shut up!

Is the Philippines Ready for a Magnitude 8 Earthquake and Monstrous Tsunami?

elmot — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:41:57 +0000

The magnitude 8.9 earthquake that had hit Japan on Friday last week sent fears down our spine as the extent of devastation is beyond anyone’s imagination.

Sendai, Japan after the massive earthquake and tsunami.

Houses were torn into many pieces, cars ended up parked on rooftops, boats and ships tossed into land, toilet bowls hanging on electrical cables and the population of a town went missing.

Tsunami waves were as high as 33 feet hit the eastern coastline of Japan and brought more damage.

The nuclear reactors in Fukushima were also damaged and a nuclear meltdown is quite imminent.

All of these happened in a country which is considerably the most prepared in terms of earthquakes. All of these happened in a country that coined the term “tsunami” and is very much prepared to face it. And all of these harrowing images struck a first world country.

Monstrous earthquakes hit many countries already in the last couple of years: Indonesia, Chile, Haiti, Australia and last Friday, Japan.

Philvocs officials say that the Philippines is already due for the “big one.” Though not even the most brilliant of geologists and famous of astrologers and psychics can predict the exact moment when an earthquake is going to happen, Filipino geologists say that the country should already brace for the worse thing to come.

They say that a magnitude 7 or so could hit the Philippines. Strong shaking of the earth and tsunami are two things that will bring devastation, but fire and damaged infrastructures will paralyze the nation and bring death.

Felino Palafox Jr. had already expressed in media for the last couple of years his concern as to the readiness of the country to such a natural occurrence. He has cited many studies made by Japan and the US as to the extent of damage that the county will have when a magnitude 7 earthquake hit the metropolis.

And the reports paint an apocalypse for the Philippines.

However, Abigail Valte, mouthpiece of President Aquino shot down the pronouncements made by the renowned urban planner, saying that he should rather stop infusing fear and panic to the people. She added that the good architect should just have sent everything in his hand to the Palace to help the government.

Unfortunate for Valte, she precisely does not know what she was talking about as Palafox revealed in a media interview later that he has been coordinating with the previous presidents up the present one about issues on the country’s readiness as regards to an occurrence of a monstrous earthquake. And everything was provided with official documents citing and proving that the government was the one who was sleeping on its watch. Even this present administration.

With the concern of the country’s readiness against the “big one”, I would rather listen to the architect who spent his life with urban planning and environmental advocacy, and helped rebuilt countries hit by different disasters than to a Malacañang spokesperson who once again proved the incompetence of this yellow tribe, that only seem to enjoy castigating the errors and misgivings of the past without exactly saying what they are going to do about it; and what had they already done about it.

Let me then pose this question to you guys.

Is the Philippines ready to face and survive the “big one”? What do you think should the government do by now in order to prepare our countrymen and the whole nation to such a natural disaster?

Raising Political Questions

elmot — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 07:06:31 +0000

Bakit si “Joker” Arroyo di marunong mag-joke, joke, joke?

Bakit ang mga nangakong magbabaril sa sarili eh,

nag-aalive alive forevermore pa rin?

Bakit si Rey “Langit” eh ang boses parang galing sa ilalim ng lupa?

Bakit si Ping Lacson, hindi pa rin ma-”ping” point ng mga pulisya ang kinalalagyan?

Bakit si P-Noy kamukha si Bart Simpson?

Ikaw, ano ang mga katanungang bumabagabag sa iyong isipan?

Corruption and Pabaon System in AFP

elmot — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:19:58 +0000

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is at the center of controversy after one of its men blew the whistle of the military’s long tradition of giving the top brass “pabaon” in the form of millions of cash. This cash given to the chief of staff and the generals come from the pooled funds from different AFP service units according George Rabusa, a former military budget officer.

During the Senate hearing, Rabusa opened up a can of worms and accused retired General Angelo Reyes of receiving P50 million as a pabaon. He also revealed the systematic corruption inside the Philippine military, something that I am pretty sure of, is not alien even to politicians who were investigating the issue.

The pabaon system is only one of the many corrupt practices in the military as Rabusa revealed. He also admitted that when he assumed his position, the system was already in place; corruption has already been a long tradition in the military.

“Was I greedy?” asked Reyes as he confronted his tormentor. But the question about the whole issue of corruption is not all about whether he was greedy or generous, but whether he pocketed money outside what was legally due him.

The sad part of the whole situation is that corrupt practices in the Philippine military have been there for a long time that it has become systematic and a tradition; and it was tolerated by and patronized by civilian leadership. A disease that could be scratched at the surface, but the poison is still fully alive at the core. Looking at the answer of Angelo Reyes, morality in the military (at least at the top brass) has become relative and at the discretion of the generals.

The revelation of Rabusa is not detached from the whole issue of corruption in the Philippines; it is not confined in the military alone.

The issue of General Garcia’s plea bargaining agreement paved way for this exposition of wicked ways of the defenders of the constitution. And Garcia’s case is also being connected to Gloria Arroyo, who was the commander-in-chief of the AFP that time. And if remembered, Gloria Arroyo is still hounded by the Garci tape with which she was caught talking to a Comelec commissioner during the election. Digging the issue further, she has been accused of using the military to cheat during the presidential derby against Fernando Poe Jr. And all former military generals so dear to her were given government positions here and there.

This web of corruption does not need any solid evidence; the obvious tells us that something wrong has been eating up the nation.

It is so sad, for while ordinary foot soldiers are giving their lives and their future at the front lines to defend the country from heartless terrorists and criminals, their generals are plundering the nation and living the grand life. While retired ordinary soldiers are featured every now and then on television pleading for the AFP to give them their retirement benefits, their generals are given more than what they deserve during their goodbyes to the service. And while the families of ordinary soldiers are praying everyday for safety in front of the enemies of their loved ones, generals shower their wives and children with material pleasures.

The solution is not cherry-picking. The solution to corruption is overhauling the whole system. The cure is not putting a band-aid on rotting flesh but surgery or amputation.

Photo credit: lyzius.tumblr.com

Black Nazarene Devotees Indicate Poverty Level and Hopelessness in the Philippines

elmot — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 03:21:01 +0000

Police authorities said that about 7 to 7.5 million people attended last Sunday’s Feast of the Black Nazarene. With the dramatic increase of devotees (or fanatics) from last year, also was the steep rise in reported injuries. The Philippine National Red Cross said on an official statement that 708 people were injured during the hours-long procession.

Many people were amazed by the show of “faith” of millions of Filipino Catholics during last Sunday’s feast. However, many people were unconvinced that it was indeed faith that brought millions of people pushing, shoving each other and stepping upon other devotees just for their prayers to be answered.

Was it really faith or desperation that brought millions of people to Quiapo? Was it really faith or fanaticism? Was it really faith or hopelessness?

During several interviews made by local television networks, devotees said that they were asking for miracles in their lives: healing from serious illness, getting a job, financial stability, serenity. Others were thanking the Black Nazarene for answered prayers.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz said it right: “That is one of the significant messages of the devotion to the Black Nazarene, that more Filipinos are clinging to God as their last hope because of the worsening poverty in the country.”

I cannot reckon the fact that millions of people will push each other, literally step upon other devotees just for them to have the rare chance of holding on the black statue and be granted healing from some illness. One will virtually have to one way or another hurt somebody in order to get healing. I think that is totally absurd. But then again, they say that is faith.

In a nation were poverty level continually rises and societal transformation seems like a dream, people are drawn into clinging to their faith because they cannot find any solace from the government and their individual fate. Indeed, the rise in attendees and injured devotees during the feast of the Black Nazarene last Sunday are indications of rising unanswered prayers, desperate citizens and failure of the government to address the needs of the people.

Because the virtues of charity and generosity failed; because individual capacities to rise up fail were unsuccessful; because human frailty triumphed; because servant leadership was abused for personal gain; because there is no other way; people have to only look up to the heavens and cry for redemption.

Last Sunday’s feast was a classic manifestation of Karl Marx’s description of religion being the opium of the people, especially when the State and the Church conspire to hide the truth.

I do not condemn the many millions of people who joined the feast; I am saddened by the fact that what is called the bold expression of Catholic faith is now justifiably equaled to the number of desperate citizens, impoverished Filipinos and hopeless Catholics.

Last Sunday showed the real score of what is happening in the Philippines. It was the real survey of poverty level in a nation whose citizens keep on holding on, believing that someday, all shall be well.

Photo credit: Lagaluda

â€œBatang Villarâ€, The New Face of Poverty in the Philippines?

Could Facebook Cartoon Character Photos Really Fight Violence Against Children?

elmot — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:37:34 +0000

Spiderman, Tweety Bird, Hello Kitty, Dragon Ball Z, Voltes 5, Care Bears and many more cartoon characters invaded Facebook most recently. And though these cartoon figures had more or less dominated the social networking giant, I instead changed my profile photo into Pierce Brosnan with the introduction, “I am Bond, short bond.”

Why? For no other profound reason. I just like James Bond.

The whole Facebook cartoon profile photo is actually part of the campaign against violence on children. Joining this campaign is all too easy. Take a look at the wide variety of available cartoon characters and then choose the one that you love most especially that one who went gaga during your childhood days. And viola, you have already helped the advocacy on against violence on children.

The advocacy I must say looks cute.

But there are some reactions to the whole advocacy of changing your profile photo on Facebook into cartoon characters. A good discussion of it could be found on the Facebook page of Br. Alex Diaz FSC when he said that it is ironic some cartoons that included on the Facebook campaign against violence on children are actually promoting violence.

The status message drew varied reactions but at the end of the discussion, the following points were outlined:

A good number of the cartoon characters/cartoons that we grew up with are promoting violence themselves, maybe not against children but the act of violence itself, like exploding bombs, falling pianos, etc.

These moments of violence are cloaked as part of the humour of the whole cartoon story line.

There are morals on the story of most cartoon characters despite the many depictions of violence on the storyline.

But violence is still violence no matter what.

This discussion could easily be labeled as a hopeless attempt to generate attention amidst the popularity of the online campaign, but for me personally, the discussion between cartoon characters, violence and campaign against violence on children carries a lot of weight and credence to the whole advocacy being promoted.

Distinctions should be made between fad/trend and advocacy. Others may have simply joined the whole advocacy because it is what everybody is up to, but their joining may not automatically reflect their personal advocacy on putting a stop on violence perpetrated against children. Being an advocate is not simply riding on the wave of what is hot rather a personal and institutional fight to win against things that degrade us as human beings.

The question therefore for us is: are we joining this whole thing because it is what is hot or because we are sincerely convinced of the advocacy and would passionately engage ourselves into it? Or both?

A good point that was raised on the quoted discussion is the issue of cartoon characters and cartoons promoting violence themselves. They may not be violence directly against children, but children themselves on watching such cartoon programs with violent episodes could be taught of violent actions implicitly.

My sons love to watch Dora the Explorer, Thomas and Friends and Sponge Bob. I have observed that when they watch Sponge Bob, they are more inclined to imitate some of the violent actions on the storyline compared to Dora and Thomas. There I see the importance of parental guidance over children when watching cartoons. Unfortunately, many children are not guided by their parents, and second, what is the use of cartoons intended for young kids when they are rated PG?

But there is also a good distinction between the advocacy of using cartoon characters on violence against children and cartoons actually containing violence. The former speaks of putting a stop on violence against children, of ending children as recipients of violence, while the latter is about children learning violence and learning to be perpetrators of violence. These two are important things, but for me personally, the second one is most crucial as children may not experience violence from external forces, but may become perpetrators of violence because of modelling.

Times News Feed posted that it is sceptical with the advocacy really making concrete actions. But the advocacy could also be simply an information campaign. Nonetheless, the scepticism is also quite valid.

I am personally not against this advocacy on Facebook. For me, it is one of the many million ways of protecting children by using the social media platform and is also an exercise of individual freedom of expression. But if freedom of expression is used on the context of an advocacy over a serious social issue, then it should be elevated to a higher set of valuing.

Discussions like these as regards to the campaign should not be dismissed as hopeless attempts of “attention grabbers” but as part of the crucial process of purifying the intentions of people on joining the advocacy. Discussions like this also contribute to the better understanding of the issue on violence against children and the collective effort to search for solutions that are not only “cute”.

You may ask me, then what are we to put?

How about our baby pics? That is an invitation to rediscovering the child in each one of us. Well, that is at least for me.

Any thoughts about this whole cartoon characters as profile pictures on Facebook, and its campaign against violence perpetrated on children?

Photo credit: Cartoons Jacuri

The Cost of Winning the 6/55 Grand Lotto Jackpot

elmot — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:23:01 +0000

The grand lotto frenzy has taken the Philippines instantaneously by storm as millions of Filipinos from all social strata lined up to get a crack at the more than P700 million jackpot, the highest in Philippine lotto history.

And the bad news for all those who gambled, one bettor from Luzon is by now smiling from ear to ear on his way to the bank. PCSO disclosed that the winner is Jose Pidal. Just kidding, that was a bad joke.

The good news though is that, those who had not won the jackpot were spared the agony of being more than P700-million richer. But of course there will always be people who would rather want to agonize being a millionaire than agonize the daily with empty stomachs.

You got it, I lied. I did not win it. And I am pretty sure, so are you. (smiling)

I was thinking for days of what if I win the Grand Lotto jackpot; what will I do with it? What will my life be?

I was thinking: if I win the jackpot, at least I don’t need to aspire anymore of fighting the likes of Marquez, Hatton, Cotto, Clottey, Margarito and hopefully Mayweather. I am just damn too old to make run for a career in boxing at 26. And of course, be spared the agony of having my Mom taking a showbiz career; singing with Imelda Papin and joining the next season of America’s “Dancing With The Stars” all dressed up like someone attending a dreaded high school prom.

Being P700 million richer could be a bad dream instead of a nirvana, at least for me personally. The amount is just too big for comfort. Man, maybe all the strikers of Abu Sayaff, MILF, and notorious gangs including the bad men in uniform all planning to make a monthly if not weekly kidnap-for-ransom plot on me.

That is the odd thing with getting richer; especially on getting so rich so quick: the more you get lots of money, the more that you lose your freedom, your security.

You will have more security aides, tall walls, sophisticated alarm system in your mansions and a more cautious self. You may not be able to enjoy anymore the simple joys of life like eating fish ball on a crowded street without the secret agents shoving all suspicious-looking folks away from you. Of course, Warren Buffet is one big exception to this.

If I have won it, the possibilities are endless for spending. But maybe I am just too afraid to lose my freedom and the beauty of enjoying life’s simple pleasures because of getting too rich too quick. I am a simple man who enjoys simple joys, and maybe I am not yet ready to simply give up all these luxuries.

But winning P100 million will I guess change my mind. (devilish smile)

Off to you guys. What will you do if you won the P700 million lotto jackpot? What will be the significant changes in your life?

Photo credit: Cartoon Stock

Ocean of Nothingness

elmot — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:31:04 +0000

A guest post by Jeniffer Rio Capanang.

The ship of our nation is plunging towards an iceberg, the passengers and crew are shouting in agony, but nobody’s daring to stop the impending catastrophe.

Now, barely five months after a new tenant occupied The Palace, many of us are busy judging him as if he is a contestant in a talent search. In fact, we are done grading his performance based on a hostage crisis. We are also witnessing that some groups are already conquering the streets to burn his effigy. Haven’t we seen this for almost every administration? The point is: our history is getting circular, cyclical.

We do not know whatever happened to logic, but are we just being blind? The problem is not with the President or whoever sits there. The problem is with the system. And the problem with that system is not just the concern of the leaders, but moreover, of the citizens.

Our society today is full of people who are rich with expectations but poor with examples. Everyone is busy putting their own agenda on top of everyone else’s. So, how will we ever progress?

The solution is simple and out there in the open. It is indeed, so naïve that the intellectuals find it very hard to accept. But sometimes, the most effective solutions are the ones which only need a common sense.

We need to have a re-orientation of values. And we need to start within ourselves.

If ALL OF US, (that includes you, and me and everybody else) could only forget ourselves a little and think more of the common good, if we could stop blaming and start moving, if we could take initiatives and refrain from faultfinding, if we could only integrate love, justice and respect, if and only if we will do our part… then we will be able to fight the disease spreading destructively at the backbone of our country.

This is a two-way process. To govern a wounded nation such as ours is a tough job, but to be responsible citizens is tougher. If both will wait for the other to start the healing process, the ship of our state will crash into the iceberg and sink in the ocean of nothingness.

Do you care enough to let it happen?

*******

Jeniffer Rio Capanang, 21, is a graduate of Mass Communication and now works as a PR and Marketing Specialist at an International School. She likes to describe herself as a writer.

How to Win the 6/55 Grand Lotto Jackpot of 408 Million Pesos on Saturday

elmot — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:34:11 +0000

The jackpot prize of the 6/55 Grand Lotto is estimated by the PCSO or the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to reach P408 million on Saturday night. This will be a big jump from the last jackpot of more than 380 million pesos.

This is also the biggest lotto jackpot in Philippine history that even Senators and plunderers are lining up to try their luck on the coveted 6-winning number combination. Talking about sheer greed huh…(mahina yata raket sa gobyerno ngayun kaya pati Lotto tinitira, LOL!)

Observation…

I was in a mall hours before the draw of the 6/55 last Wednesday. A local betting station is full of people and the line was too long, too tiresome for me to put my bet. Now you know that I will easily surrender to laziness than take a chance on winning the jackpot.

Many people were lining up; the usual bettors on their ordinary shirts and pants. But most of those I saw lining up were people who were in long sleeves with shinning neck tie and people on blue-collar jobs.

Wheew!

The next day, I went to buy some grocery items and the raffle was for the 6/42 which has a jackpot price of more than 3 million pesos. To my astonishment, so few were the people who were lining up that those people receiving the bets could just sleep all day on their stations without getting scolded by their boss.

A neighbor told me: “I will not bet with just 3 million pesos on the pot. I will be after the hundreds of millions instead.”

Wow, people nowadays will wager on a 29-million-into-1 chance than that of the 6/42 with 3.4-million-into-1 chance.

Wow, really!

This lotto jackpot of more than 300 hundred million as my co-worker shared has instantly raised the standards of Pinoys. People will not bet anymore when the pot is just an ungenerous 3 million pesos! But if we are to ask them how much do they have in their pockets, some of them would maybe respond that they’ve got none.

Off to my tips now on how to win it….Excited? Betcha…

Actually, I don’t know.

First tip…

Some people say that all you have to do is practice the untapped power of the universe by using positive thinking. All you have to do is put into your whole consciousness, in your mind and in your heart that “you will win.” And the whole universe will conspire for you to get your heart’s desire.

Unfortunately, every bettor is also positively thinking. Everyone who lined to get the 6/55 jackpot are resolved that they will win. The very reason that they are lining up is because they are thinking of winning it. Now, with everyone else thinking and commanding the whole universe for them to win, for sure the whole universe is already suffering from a diarrhea of positivity.

Who will the universe follow? Maybe Albert Einstein knows.

Second tip…

Pray. Pray hard. This could be a religious way of expressing your positive thinking attitude. As the scriptures say, “Ask and you shall receive.”

A bishop is condemning lotto for it is also gambling. But some priests are including in their mass their personal intention of winning the jackpot themselves. Just kidding, Bishop…or maybe not.

Unfortunately, everyone is also praying. And whose prayer God will answer? That is something that we don’t know. Maybe a winner could not even have prayed to God or does not believe in a God.

Third tip…

Inquirer.net published an article today saying that only about 25 percent of the total number combinations have bets on them and still about 75 percent of all number combinations did not receive a single bet. In simple terms, PCSO is telling us, “That is the big reason why the jackpot is just pilling up morons!”

Now, in order for you to win, you have to place your bet on all the 28.9 million number combinations. My calculator says that, it will cost you about P580 million.

Unfortunately, no one has that amount, except Jose Pidal and Imelda Marcos. And even if you have that amount, the jackpot is just P400 million, and would still leave you P180 million poorer.

Last…

Then everything for me boils down to sheer “luck”. The winner for sure will be one heck of a lucky man!

I think, it will be all about luck, nothing more, nothing less.

There are two problems in this world according to that same co-worker I mentioned a while ago: the one with no money (problematic on how to look for money) and the one with lots of money (problematic on how spend it). But as he said, he does not bother to be the latter. Well, same here. And I know most of you too. Don’t be hypocrites, hahahahaha!

Now, if starting Saturday night you will not hear anything from me anymore on this blog, for sure I am already on some Caribbean Island so problematic on how to spend my P410 million.

Har, har, har!

Photo credit: Hubpages

The Cost of Winning the 6/55 Grand Lotto Jackpot

Pinoy Sounding Board » Commentaries

Pee for a Fee

Related Posts

Rep. Manny Pacquiao Failed to do His Homework on the RH Bill

Related Posts

Is the Philippines Ready for a Magnitude 8 Earthquake and Monstrous Tsunami?

Related Posts

Raising Political Questions

Related Posts

Corruption and Pabaon System in AFP

Related Posts

Black Nazarene Devotees Indicate Poverty Level and Hopelessness in the Philippines

Related Posts

Could Facebook Cartoon Character Photos Really Fight Violence Against Children?

Related Posts

The Cost of Winning the 6/55 Grand Lotto Jackpot

Related Posts

Ocean of Nothingness

Related Posts

How to Win the 6/55 Grand Lotto Jackpot of 408 Million Pesos on Saturday

Related Posts